Quick-acting securing means for watertight doors



Feb. 8, 1949. w so 2,460,961

QUICK-ACTING SECURING MEANS FOR WATERTIGHT DOORS v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 29, 1944 Feb. 8, 1949. w so Q 2,460,961

QUICK-ACTING SECURING MEANS FOR WATERTIGHT DOORS Filed Sept. 29, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 8, 1949 ,QmcKno rmG SECURING MEANS non I I wATERTIGH'rnooas I y I "Donald Wilson, StratfordQGonni, assignor' tot The 'Wi1son Manufacturing 'Gompany,-LStratford, Conn, a partnership r la ination September 29, mags-er l lo.' 56;447

' "This invention relates to water-tight doors for ships bulkheads and the like, and particularly to about the periphery of the door, but which con struction will not 'materially complicate the con;

struction of the door and will not require a large,

number of additional parts, and thereforewill not greatly increase the costof the" door.

Another object is to provide va simpleand ef-;

fective securingmeans which will be positively operable in either direction for releasing or securing the dogs.

With the foregoing and other objects in view I have devised the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming: a partiof this,

specification. It is, however, to be understood that the device is not limited to the specific construction and arrangement shown but may embody various changes and modifications within the scope of the invention. In these drawings: p

Fig. 1 is an elevation looking toward the inside of the door and its enclosing frame with the bulkhead wall omitted, the securing means being shown in the closed or securing position;

'Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the and frame .of Fig. 1;

-Fig. 3 is aside view of the door frameand one securing dog on one side of the door, the view being substantially on the line 33 of Fig. -1;

Fig.4 is a similar'view of the door frame and door dog on the opposite side of the door, the view being substantially as indicated on the line- 4-4 ofFi 1;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section on an enlarged scalesubstantially on line 55 of Fig. 1, but showing the'dog in elevation, and

'3 "Fig; 6 is a'vertical section substantially on use;

B- -BofFig. 1 on an enlarged scale.

"Various devices have beendevised for"simul-' taneouslyoperating a'plurality of 'securing means for bulkhead doors, but these so far as I :am aware have all been-quite complicated; greatly increasing th cost of thedoor, and due totheir complication moreapt toget :out of order and 'be less reliableand dependable in operation. I.-;have

devised a construction by which all of a plurality oflsecuring dog-s :locatedtaboututhe periphery of the 'idoor may .beg-aope'rated simultaneously and quickly with a isinglezoperating (handle or lever 1 and i'all will tightlyrsecure itheir portion of 17118 door, but which mechanism is ofextremelyzsimple'construct-ion which will not greatly increase the Lcost :of the door and furthermore Will befniuch mores'reliablezandLdependable. I aim the drawing is shown a door. frame In formed from sheetnmeta-l of proper/thickness of a substantiallydseshaped:cross section comprising a flange; E] l resting :against the face; of {the bulk-1 head. wall 12 etcv which-zit" is welded and incl-uding -a rib] |;3:projecting'outwardlyat ri ht angles to. rthe iIange-and forming-the periphery {Oilthe opening 4 in the framfi; 'l hedoor .l5 isjalso of sheetmetal provided with an inwardly or back war-,dly extending flange I 6 ;extendingabout its outer periphery, and spaced inwardlyfrom this flange is a rib -.-I l :welded at one edge to the; door andforming .a groove toreceive and hold a packs ing l 8,fsuch for example as a substantiallyrec-e tangular, rubber packing adapted to seat :on and bepressed against;;-the edge of the rib is to formawater-tight connection; The door is hinged-at one edgeto-theframe H] .by suitable hinges 'l;9 comprisinglugs 20 welded to the frame and-an intermediate member 2-1 welded-to the door and 7 extending between the lugs 20 and secured thereabi a ri i 2 Secured adjacent the ,periphery Lof the door. at suitable :points are a plurality of locking or securing members comprisingldogsgzii, l l-and 25 pivotally mounted on the door andcooperating with tapered wedgeslzfi, 21 and 28 respectively welded to the frame H1. Each dog isf'welded to I or integral with a pivotT pinor stud 28 mountedtoturn in asteel sleeve 3i) passingthrough an opening in'the .door and welded to -the door. as

shown more clearly inYFig. 5Y1 Itis preferred to mount the .pinfin fa. pair of brass bushings-3i I with a suitablelpacking 32fbetween them to make it water-tight,"and there'are also preferably bronze washers 33 at each end of the sleeve. These dogs usually have an. integral handle extending from the opposite side of the pin from the dog for operation of the dog, but this handle is bent laterally in the present construction to form an arm 34 extending at an angle to the dog as shown in Fig. 1, and they are flattened for pivotal connection to suitable operating means presently to be described. The outer end of the pin or stud 29 is preferably square as shown at 35 to receive a handle 36 to permit operation of the individual dogs from the outer side of the door should the operating mechanism on the inner side of the door fail. The assembly is secured by the nut 31 secured by a lock nut 38 threaded on the stud. v

The operating mechanism for these dogs comprises a rod 39 connecting the arms 34 of the dogs 23 and pivoted thereto as at 40. The arms 34 of the dogs 24 are connected'by a similar rod 4| pivoted thereto. With this arrangement it-is seen the dogs 23 and also the dogs 24 will be operated together. Mounted at the center of the door is a central operating device comprising two operating handles 42 and 43 located on the outer andiinner' sides of the door respectively. 'The handle is welded to the head 44 of a central pin or short shaft 45 mounted in a sleeve 46 extending through an opening in the door and welded thereto as indicated at 41. The pin bearing isl'prefe'rably in a pair of brass bushings 48 mounted in the'sleeve and separated by asuitable packing 49 to make a water-tight hearing. The outer end of the pin is square as indicated at 50, and'mounted' on this square portion is an operatinglever which may be of any suitable shape but is preferably a flat piece of metal, and to secure greaterbearing o the square portion 58 hubs-52 may be Welded to the opposite sides of the lever 5|, as shown at53. The handle 43 is mount'edbn the outer side of this lever and secured by the'nut 54 and lock nut 55. This operating lever- 5| is connected by a link fitwiththe arm 34 of the upper dog 23 at the point 40 and a'similar link '51 is pivotally connected to the arm 34 of the lower dog 24, these links being pivoted to the lever at 58. Similar links '59 are pivoted to thelever 5| referably by the same pivot pins 58 and at their outer ends to the arms 34 of the pawls 25. The inner end portion of the links 56 and 51 are curved as shown at Stand the inner end portions of the links 59 are similarlycurved as shown at-Bl so that as the lever 5| is rotated to carry the pivots 58 about the central pin 45 carrying this lever the links" will clear the pin permitting much greater movement before they engage the pinto limit this movement. It will be seen that with this arrangement operation of either of the handles 42"0r 43 to turn the pin 45 and the lever 5| mounted thereon will simultaneously operate all of the links 56, 51 and 59 to simultaneously operateall of the dogs 23, 24 and 25 either to release them from the tapered wedges 26, 21 and 28 on the door frame to release the door and permit it to be opened or to swing the dogs against these Wedges and by camming action thereon to draw the door tightly closed and press the packing l8 tightly against the rib I3 of the frame throughout the entire periphery of the door opening to make a Water-tight seal. Stop lugs may be formed onthe wedges as shown at26a in Fig. 3

and'ZIoin Fig. 4 to limit movement of the dogs on the wedges and prevent their being forced 4 too far so as to pass off the higher end of the wedges.

It will be seen that the connections are such and the arrangement of the tapered wedges are such that when the inner handle 43 is swung upwardly as shown in Fig. 1 the pawls 23 will be swung upwardly, pawls 24 will be swung downwardly, the upper pawl 25 will be swung to the left and the lower pawl will be swung to the right, thus carrying them all away from their re- 7 spective tapered wedges and carrying them into alignment with the opening H in the frame (as 43 in the opposite direction after the door is swung to the closed position will swing all the dogs in the opposite direction and force them to slide up the inclined surfaces of their respective wedges and by their camming action there- .on clamp the door tightly, making a water-tight closure. It will be understood that although six dogs are shown throughout the periphery of the door the device is not limited to this number, but a greater or less number may be used as found desirable. These dogs may be operated either fromthe inside of the door by the handle 43 or from the outside by the handle 42, and because of the-square portion 50 of the pin 45 the handle 43 may extend in the same direction from the pin as the handle 42 or it may be mounted to extend in the opposite direction or upwardly or downwardly as found desirable.

It will be seen that this construction is an extremely simple one involving a minimum number of parts each of which is of itself very simple, and thereforethe entire structure will not add greatly to the cost of the door. Also because the mechanism is extremely simple and because the dogs are operated positively in both directions from the central operating means the device is easily and quickly operated and the entire periphery of the door is uniformly sealed with the tion, what I claim is:

1; In a device of the character described a door adapted to be mounted on a frame to close an opening therein, a plurality of bearing sleeves mounted on the door at spaced points adjacent the periphery thereof and extending at right angles to the door, a clamping dog including a stud mounted to turn in each sleeve and each adapted to cooperate with an inclined surface on the door frame to clamp the door closed, an arm extending laterally from each dog, a bearing sleeve mounted at right angles to the door adjacent the center thereof, a shaft mounted in said latter sleeve and extending through the door, a lever mounted on said shaft, rigid links piv-otally connected directly to the lever at per-' manent points at permanent distances fromthe axis of the shaft and also directly to the arms of the dogs to positively operate the dogs in either of two directions, and an operating handle onithe-shaft on each side of the door.

' 2. In a device of the character described a door adaptedto be mounted on a frame to close an opening thereima plurality'of bearing sleeves mounted on the door at spaced pointsadjacent the periphery. thereof and extending at right angles to the door, a clamping dog including a stud mounted to turn in each sleeve and an arm extending laterally from the studadapted to cooperate with an inclined wedge surface on the door frame to clamp the door closed, each dog also including a laterally extending arm, a bearing sleeve mounted adjacent the center of the door and extending at right angles thereto, a shaft mounted in said latter sleeve, a lever mounted on said shaft including arms extending in opposite directions from the shaft, rigid links pivotally connected directly to the arms of the lever at permanent points at permanent distances from the axis of the shaft and also directly to the arms of the dogs to positively operate the dogs in either of two directions, and an operating handle on the shaft.

i DONALD G. WILSON.

. 6 REFERENCES CITED v The following references are of record in the file of this patent: v

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Young Mar. 30, 1943 

